Strings of a Debt
by mistlove
Summary: Judith sees her relationship with Yuri in terms of strings, something that keeps her bound to him. One-sided Judith/Yuri, Rita/Judith friendship.


**Title:** Strings of a Debt  
**Summary:** Post-game. Judith sees her relationship with Yuri in terms of strings, something that keeps her bound to him. One-sided Judith/Yuri, Rita/Judith friendship.  
**Author:** mistlove  
**Copyrights:** Plot is mine. Everything else belongs to Namco Bandai.  
**Warnings: **Angsty-ish?  
**A/N:** I love love love Judith to death. But my headcanon for her is that Yuri never reciprocates her feelings so she is stuck with her one-sided affection for him.

* * *

Karol had wanted to set up a Brave Vesperia HQ after the Adephagos was defeated.

Judith was fine with the idea, but she didn't want to be tied down to a place so soon after the whole ordeal. So she told them that.

"I made a promise with someone before we fought Duke," Judith says evenly, making sure to catch Rita's gaze. "I promised after the Adephagos was defeated, we would travel the world again for awhile."

Rita pauses before speaking up, the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks. "I made a promise as well." She folds her arms across her chest, her usual defensive posture. "I won't always be available, you know! And I have research to do on the spirits."

"We wouldn't necessarily be tied down," Karol insists, pleading. His large brown eyes widen at the idea Brave Vesperia might completely split up. "The HQ is only a place for us to come pick up jobs. We can still wander around the world in between jobs."

"Hold up, Captain Karol," Yuri intervenes, putting a hand up. He steps in, his posture relaxed and patient.

Judith has always loved that about Yuri. He has a naturally expectant and patient aura about him that makes it easy for those who follow him to trust him to guide them in the right direction. She knows she wasn't wrong in trusting Yuri for believing in Estelle.

"That means at least one of us needs to be present at HQ at all times so we can pass on messages about jobs to each other," the swordsman elaborates.

"We could hire a secretary," Raven cuts in eagerly, teal green eyes widening at the idea. He clenches his hands into his fists, shaking them excitedly. "Ooh, just think 'bout it. If we have a smokin' hot secretary, we're sure ta get some business!"

"You just want a pretty secretary to ogle at her," Rita snaps, her young face morphing into a disgusted expression. But Judith doesn't miss the flash of jealousy in her bright green eyes. "you old pervert!"

Raven tenses slightly at her accusation, standing up a little straighter than normal. He catches himself and relaxes, sagging forward dramatically and rubbing a hand over his chest. "Why, I'm hurt, Rita darlin'! Don't ya care 'bout my welfare at all?" There's an undertone there, directed at Rita that Judith doesn't understand completely. "An old man like me needs a little... motivation now and then." He adds in an exaggerated wink.

Yuri cringes slightly at Raven's words while Estelle tilts her head, confused.

"Motivation?" she repeats slowly. "What do you mean...?"

Repede lets out a whine, shaking his head quickly.

Yuri shoots Raven a sharp look as he waves a dismissive hand at her. "Don't ask, Estelle." He takes long paces back, standing closer to her than he normally does in front of them. He's unintentionally showing how protective he is of the princess. Judith smiles a little to herself. Yuri rarely does things unintentionally, but Estelle always makes him forget all reason.

"I think it's better that you don't get it."

Estelle shoots him a pouty look that seems to warn him she's going to get an answer out of him later.

"Ugh... do you guys really not want to do this Brave Vesperia thing then?" Karol finally asks, looking absolutely dejected. He sags forward, his bag scraping against the ground from his action.

"Easy, kiddo." Raven ruffles his hair fondly. "Nobody's sayin' nothing fer sure yet. I'd say we all earned ourselves a rest. We just saved the world after'll. And there's a lot ta sort out now that we don't have blastia."

"He's right," Judith agrees. She steps forward, gaining everyone's attention. "Why don't we all take some time away from each other? We should give this some thought before we commit to anything."

"I think that's fair," Yuri says with a nod. He cocks his head at her with a smile. "Look at Judy, our problem solver."

"That's me," she smiles back at him, her usual easy smile. "I get things done." She turns to look at the rest of the group, touching a hand to her chest. "So it's settled. We'll meet back here in Capua Torim in two weeks with our decision."

There was a long pause.

"Oh gosh..." Estelle claps a hand over her mouth, tearing up. "That means we're saying goodbye now?" She surges forward, tugging Judith and a squawking Rita into a hug. "S-Stay safe! I'll... I'll miss you both."

Rita gives Judith a helpless look. She only smiles back, hugging Estelle loosely. The mage glares at her before she closes her eyes and mimics the action.

"You act like I'm leaving to my death or something!" she mutters at Estelle.

The princess pulls away, giggling. "I'm going to miss you a lot, Rita!"

Rita's whole face glows hot red. She folds her arms across her chest and looks away with a loud huff.

Raven slinks closer, opening his arms expectantly. "What, no love for the old man and the kid?" he asks, nodding his head towards Karol, who is also getting a little teary-eyed.

"I'll miss you two as well!" Estelle reassures them, wiping at her eyes. "I-I'm sorry. This is embarrassing, I'm getting so emotional."

"C'mon," Yuri reminds her gently as he comes to stand next to her side. He places a casual hand on her shoulder. "It's not like you're not seeing them again."

"T-True."

Yuri smiles down at her softly and it's so clear to Judith just how in love with Estelle he actually is. He looks back up to the group and it's his usual cocky smile. "Let's all say our goodbyes now, group."

So they do.

Judith permits herself a teasing comment to Karol about Nan and smiles when he flushes and pouts up at her. She scratches Repede behind the ears gently as she talks to Estelle. She permits Raven a loose hug from behind before she moves to go talk to Yuri. He's standing by the pier with Repede, having already said his goodbyes, waiting for Estelle to finish up, since they decided they would be going back to Zaphias together.

"Hey," he greets softly, glancing at her when he hears her heels clacking against the worn wood. "What are you going to do now that everything's been said and done?"

She stays a few feet behind him. "I'm going to go back to Mount Temza," she says placidly. "The Kritya want to rebuild there and try to heal the scarred land. Ba'ul and I will help."

Yuri chuckles. "It's not like you, you know."

Judith frowns. She's not one to let what people say bother her, but Yuri's opinion has always mattered to her. "What isn't like me?"

He turns his body to face her, tilting his head up slightly to look at her. She's always been a head taller than him. Kritya are born tall.

"Settling down in a place for a long time. Maybe it's time for you to put down your spear to rest for awhile." The swordsman tilts his head further back to look up into the sky. "You've been flying in these skies for so long." He drops his gaze back to her. "Don't you think settling down would be good for you?"

Yuri isn't the type to say such things out loud. He always implies it through his actions instead and the fact that he spells it out to her instead of making an action to show it tells her that maybe he doesn't think she always understands what he's trying to get across.

"Oh, I don't know." Judith reaches behind her head, careful to avoid cutting herself against Zarich, her fell arm hanging on her back, and lets her hair down. It cascades down her back, the tips tickling the back of her skirt. She gives him a significant look before continuing, "I think this wandering lifestyle suits me, like it does you."

The action of letting down her hair is both a reminder and an offer.

She realizes she's been fighting for a long time. She hasn't found the time to care for her hair and she hopes this action lets Yuri know that she knows herself.

It's also an offer that she's right here, waiting for him. It's a foreign feeling for her to not voice these feelings aloud. She's used to saying whatever she wants. She's blunt. She's not a very good liar. So she always took to being honest and speaking her mind. It's not as though she doesn't know Yuri doesn't find her attractive. But she knows he doesn't love her and that knowledge holds her back from her normal blunt statements.

His dark eyes roam across her hair before he smiles, strolling past her.

"Take care, Judy."

Repede follows after a moment, lifting his snout up to her in an passive, empathetic gesture as he passes.

Judith closes her eyes. She's angry at herself. She was going to talk to him about her debt to him, how she's wanted to wait until now to repay it.

The Krityan glances over her shoulder just in time to see Yuri tuck his arm around Estelle's waist as they walk away, their backs to her.

...

She and Rita land Ba'ul down by the City of Blossoms and head inside. Rita's decided that since Aspio is permanently lost with the Tarqaron still hanging in the sky, she's going to make Halure her new home.

Judith does want to return to Mount Temza, but she decides it will be alright if she lets Rita get her bearings first. The mage promises that she just wants to arrange a place to live and to get some supplies before heading off to Mount Temza to talk to the Krityans about the Adephagos and the Gerairos civilization.

The Krityan makes her way up to the famed Halure cherry-blossom tree and flips to sit atop one of the large roots arching down the hill. She sits there quietly, not really thinking about anything.

Rita comes up the hill an hour or so later, sighing when she spots Judith. "There you are." She makes her way over and stands in front of the Krityan, hands on her hips. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Really? I wasn't trying to avoid you." Judith pats the root, urging the mage to join her. "Did I inconvenience you?"

Rita scoffs, not bothering to answer Judith's question, even though it was an honest question. The spearfighter realizes that she just naturally has that insincere tone to her voice, but she doesn't mean any harm by it.

The mage finally clamors up and sits down by her.

"You didn't look like you were able to properly say all your goodbyes," Rita says finally.

Judith frowns, looking over at her. "What makes you say that?"

Rita looks at her evenly, eyebrows knitted together slightly. She pulls her legs up and rests her arms across her knees. "I'm not the type to butt into this kind of stuff, you know," she mutters after a moment. "I'm... I'm still a kid."

Judith feels her eyes widen in surprise. It's not at all like Rita to admit to something like that so openly. "That is a startling concession, Rita," she says. "Especially from you."

Rita glares at her sharply, her green eyes flashing challengingly. "I know that," she snaps. She closes her eyes suddenly and takes a deep breath. "This wasn't what I wanted to talk about."

"Then talk to me," Judith encourages softly. "What _did_ you want to talk about?"

"I'm not the best person to give advice about this kind of topic," Rita says finally. She looks frustrated and embarrassed, but determined. "But I don't give a damn." She turns to look at Judith. To _really_ look at her.

Judith is surprised by the intensity in her eyes. She hasn't seen such a fiery gaze directed at her since the Fiertia's incident. "What's the matter?"

"Do you love him?" she asks and her tone is even and expectant. "Yuri?" she clarifies. "Did you tell him?"

It's unexpected, an attack from a direction Judith left unguarded. She never thought Rita would be the one asking her this. She always figured that in the future, she would be offering encouragement for Rita to find her path with Flynn after Raven.

But here Rita is, confronting her about feelings she hasn't completely sorted out yet.

"Love is for children." Judith says finally as she closes her eyes, placing a hand over her heart. "I owe him a debt."

"What..." Rita looks appalled by her answer. She stretches out her legs, dangling them off the root. "What are you talking about?"

"This isn't love," the Krityan explains quietly. "I am only attached to him through a debt I haven't repaid."

Judith sees her relationships as strings. She sees her and Yuri's relationship among those many threads. A strand of black, like his hair, starting from her heart and ending on his pinky finger.

A promise.

A promise she holds in her heart and one she forces on him by tying the imaginary string on his pinky, a finger reserved for promises in human culture.

His ring finger is tied with a dark red string that leads to Estelle's own ring finger. They're the ones bound by love.

She is bound by a promise of a debt unpaid.

"Whatever it is you owe him...," Rita says slowly. "I think you've paid it in full."

"No." Judith pulls her legs up to her chest and rests her arms across the top of her knees, chin falling to rest on her forearm. She focuses her eyes on the horizon. "I don't think I'll ever be able to repay it."

"Okay," Rita closes her eyes before opening them to glare at her. "you don't sound anything like the Judith I know."

"I don't?" She forces her usual carefree smile. "I don't think I'm any different than normal."

The smile infuriates Rita as usual.

She cuts Rita off before the mage can say anything else. "But what makes you think you know me as well as you think you do?" Her tone is light, but the words weigh heavy on Rita, who looks utterly frustrated.

After several false starts, she finally manages to yell, "Stop messing around, Judith! I want to help you with this!"

"Why?" The Krityan tilts her head, giving the mage a challenging look. She's being purposefully difficult and she wonders why she insists on punishing herself so. "It's not at though I asked for your help."

Rita blushes and twists her mouth into a fierce expression. "Because you're my friend, stupid!"

That surprises Judith. She's very good at reading people and she knows Rita considers her her friend, but she never thought she'd ever hear the mage admit to it.

"You consider me your friend?" Judith plays up the surprise in her tone, just to see what kind of reaction she gets. She places her hand over her chest as though touched by Rita's confession. "You really do?"

"W-What, you don't think of me as your friend?" Rita demands. She pauses, looking mortified. "F-Forget I asked!"

"No." Judith touches Rita's hand, smiling sincerely this time. "I told you, I have a good memory." She squeezes the mage's hand gently. "I am proud to call you my friend, Rita."

There's an orange string that connects her pointer finger to Rita's corresponding finger, one that darkens in color and grows thicker now that her bond with Rita has deepened.

"And I thought you were perceptive about these things!" Rita growls, pulling back her hand. She folds her arms across her chest, looking away. "You idiot."

"I'm sorry," Judith giggles.

"Like that sounded sincere at all."

"But I mean it." And she does.

Rita finally turns back to glare at her for a long moment before her expression slowly softens. "What do you owe him?"

Judith closes her eyes, tilting her head back. "My life. The physical one he's saved... and the possibility of one he took away from me."

"What?" Rita looks rightfully confused.

"I would not be here today if he and I hadn't fought together to survive on the Tower of Ghasfarost." Judith smiles ruefully. "And because I grew to trust him, I grew to believe in Estelle, someone he had faith in. He saved me from a life of meaningless blastia hunting... a life where I might've been fighting against you guys on Duke's side."

"Well, there's no use thinking about the life you could've had," Rita proclaims boldly. She gives Judith a sharp look, eyebrows arched. "This is the path you ended up forging so quit whining about it."

Judith smiles. It's so like Rita to offer her own advice through harsh words. She's a tough love woman.

"You're absolutely right, of course." Judith lets out a long sigh, unfolding out her legs, stretching to place her hands on her knees.

Rita looks at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue before catching on that the rest of Judith's thoughts will her own.

...

Although she was reluctant to leave Mount Temza, considering how completely out of their element the Kritya were there, Judith finally let herself be ushered outside by Rita.

They landed the Fiertia on Capua Torim's docks and made their way to the Inn where the rest of Brave Vesperia was already waiting. Interestingly, Raven was dressed in his Imperial Knight Captain uniform, drawing a tense, uncomfortable atmosphere from the whole group.

"What's with that ugly orange uniform, old man?" Rita finally demands after a few seconds of staring at him. "I thought you gave that up."

Schwann shrugs, but it's Raven's voice that speaks. "Sorry, little lady." He raises his hands, doing air quotes as he continues. "'Schwann' had some urgent business tha' needed takin' care of back in Zaphias. Had to put on the uniform again and didn't get a chance to change 'fore I got here."

Rita doesn't look happy by the answer, but accepts it wordlessly.

Yuri breaks the silence. "So have we decided what we want to do about Brave Vesperia?"

"I still want a guild HQ," Karol reminds them eagerly, fists clenched tight and waving about. "This is our chance to really make ourselves known."

"Seems there'll be some complications with tha' knights for me in the future," Raven says after a moment, scratching his head idly. "But I'm here for ya when I can be."

"I am living in the castle again and I have a lot of duties that need tending to now that I am a princess again," Estelle explains sheepishly. She puts her hands out to him, palms up, an offering gesture. "But I am in your hands, Karol."

"The Lower Quarter is lively as it should be, so I'm free." Yuri shrugs, smirking. "You're stuck with me, Captain Karol."

Repede gives a bark in agreement.

Rita places a hand on her hip while she waves the other about as she talks, a peculiar habit she has when she explains things. "I'm living in Halure now and still catching up on spirit and mana research..." Her cheeks darken slightly as she continues, "but I can try to come help out when I'm free."

The group finally looks expectantly at Judith for her answer.

She smiles, touching a hand to her chest. "I've enjoyed our travels and I am honored you would keep me in your ranks." She closes her eyes. "Ba'ul and I wish to help the Kritya resettle at Mount Temza," She opens her eyes, smiling at the rest of the group's relieved looks, "so I won't be immediately available to help out, but I'll come if you need me."

"That's everyone!" Karol cheers, hopping up and down excitedly. "Then Yuri, Repede, and I are going to get to work on buying a place for our HQ! We're going to protect the new Terca Lumireis from now on. Here's to Brave Vesperia!"

"To Brave Vesperia!"

It's a promise. A promise to protect the new Terca Lumireis. All of the strings, except for Yuri, realign themselves no matter their previous position, to her pinky and the other's corresponding digits.

The guild breaks up into groups to chat and catch up and talk more in-depth about their plans for the next few weeks.

Judith follows Yuri when he exits the inn alone.

"Judy," he greets without glancing back. He continues until he reaches the benches by the slides. He bends forward, resting his forearms along the top of the bench. He turns to look at her, smirking. "Just out for a walk?"

She smiles, remembering their usual talks at the edge of towns. "Yes. You too?"

"Yeah." Yuri straightens up, stretching his arms to the side absently. "Sometimes I can't believe we actually pulled it off."

"A world of spirits. A world without blastia." Judith paces closer. "I would say we haven't done half bad so far."

"No, we haven't. People are working together. Building new walls around their cities to protect against monsters, no longer relying on barrier blastia." Yuri smiles and it looks positively radiant, a genuinely happy smile. "This is the kind of world I've always wanted to see."

"You made it happen."

He looks over to her and smiles again. "Not without your help, Judy."

There's a pregnant pause between them before Judith paces closer.

She tucks a hand behind his head and bends down to place a soft kiss on his forehead, smiling when his bangs tickle her nose. She pulls away, feeling satisfied at the surprised expression on Yuri's face.

"Judy?"

The Krityan leans in close to whisper in his ear, "I've repaid the debt, Yuri."

The string connecting them falls away. A new one appears that connects her pinky finger to his.

Now they are bound by the same promise as she is bound by to the others. A promise to protect the new Terca Lumireis together.

She hasn't found where her red string will lead but that's okay.

The string will be one that starts with a promise instead of a debt.


End file.
